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(No Model.)

J. S. LAMAR.

T BLEGRAPHIG RELAY. No. 300,269. Patented June 10, 1884.

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JAMES S.'LAMAR, OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA. i

TELEGRAPHlC RELAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,269, dated June 1o,leali.

Application filed February 1S), 1884. (No model.) I

'To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, J .Inns S. LAMAR, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Augusta, in the county of Richmond and State of Georgia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relays orTelegraphic Receiving-Instruments; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which forma part of thisspecification.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a sideyiew of arelay-instrument, partly in section, illustrating this invention. Fig. 2is a plan view of the same.

This invention has relation to relays or tele graphicreceiving-instruments; and it consists, essentially, in a vibratorysteel magnet acting by its own attraction upon the core of anelectrama-guet to break circuit, and by means of the mutual repulsionbetween said electromagnet and said steel magnet to make circuit; in thedevice of a steel magnet so pivoted that it may freely oscillate betweenstops, and so adj usted and arranged that one of its poles shall embracewithin the field of its own niagnetism the soft-iron core of anelectro-magnet, so connected with its battery or other source ofelectrical supply that the magnetism of its core produced by theelectrical current shall cause the'steel magnet to be repelled, thesuccessive attractions and repulsions between the two magnets causingthe steel magnet to oscillate between said stops, so as to producetelegraphic signals; in the device of a metallic projection or armrigidly connected at an angle with a steel magnet, which is caused tooscillate by the successive attractions and repulsions between saidsteel magnet and an electro-magnet, said arm being furnished with apoint of platinum or other metal adjusted to make and break electricalconnections, or to produce telegraphic signals; in the combination, withan oscillating steel magnet operating with au electro-magnet to make andbreak circuit, of a receptacle containing mercury, with which a metallicpoint connected `to said steel magnet is made successively tomake andbreak circuit; in the combination,

with an oscillating steel magnet operating with an electro-magnet tomake and break cir cuit, of a mercury-chamber, a metallic point inconnection with the steel magnet, and a governing-screw working in apassage of the mercury-chamber to adjust the height of the mercury withreference to the operation of said metallic point 5 and in the generalcombination, with an adjustable electro-magnet connected with the maincircuit, of a vibratory steel magnet having an arm in the line of thelocal circuit, and a pole in attractive relation with the core of theelectro-magnet, a mercury-chamber, and an adj usting device to regulatethe height of the mercury in the chamber, all as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the base of theinstrument, and B an electro-magnet, which is preferably madeadjustable.

O represents a thumb-screw, working in a bearing, D, and adapted to movethe electromagnet When turned.

F F indicate binding-posts for the line-wire a a, with which theelectro-magnet is in circuit.

G represents the soft-iron core of the electro-magnet.

II represents a steel magnet, having a pivot, b, seated in bearings c,which are preferably made adjustable by employing screws for thepurpose. The steel magnet is provided with a rigid arm, K, which extendsat an angle with the magnet, and said arm is provided with adownwardly-extending point of platinum or other metal, as indicated atd. The steel magnet is designed to extend downward, its end c being nearthe end g of the soft-iron core of the electro-magnet. y

L represents a block of iron having the horizontal ,chamber h, formedwith an aperture at k. The end of this chamber is closed by means of aneatly-fitting screw, l. A threaded perforation, m, extends to thechamberltat ardistance from the aperture la, and in this perforation isplaced a governing-screw, n. The point d of the arm ofthe steel magnetis designed to extend downward into the aperture 7s, and in the chamberh is placed sufficient mercury to iill the horizontal portion of saidchamber. The height of the surface of mercury in the aperture 7c isregulated by means of the screws and a, the latter being employed forthe nice :uljustlnent re r|uired. ..f\.d j1i1stablc stops s and. areemployed to limit the movements otvbration of the steel magnet.

N N represent binding-posts for the wires .11: of a local battery. Fromone ot' these posts the local circuit extends by a brass standard, S, tothe pivot-bearings ofthe magnet H, and when the point l of the magnet isin contact with the mercury, the circuit extends through the magnet-armand mercury and down by a brass standard, S, to the other biiuling-post.`\'\"hen the point del` thestcel magnet is not in contact with themercury, the local circuit is open. ln this .relay the polarity oftheend r/ ofthe seftiron core of the electro-magnct is to be similarl tothat ofthe end voli' the steel magnet, and therefore the landing-posts Flf are to be so connected with the wire of the main line that thecurrent passing through the coil of the electro-magnet shall produce inits core at f/ the same polarity as that of thestecl magnet at c. 'lheelectro-magnet is to be adjusted i by means of the thumbscrew until thesteel magnet is freely drawn by its own magnetism toward the end g ol'Isaid core. This movement ofthe magnet ll l will lift its arm and movethe point (l out of connection with the mercury, opening the localcircuit. \Vhen the main circuit is closed, the end vr/ of the core ofthe elecl'roanagnet and the end f ol the steel magnet having the same jafilarity, the end c will be driven by magnetic repulsion away from y,vlufating the slee] magnet outward and bringing the point l ofthemagnet-arm down into the nnn'cury and closing the local circuit. \\"hen,however, the main circuit is open, the end vf/ of the core of theelectro-magnet having .no polarity, the magnetism of the steel magnet llwill cause it to be drawn toward said end y, thus lifting the point fl,lfrom the mercury and opening the local circuit. The arm l of the steelmagnet is not designed lo be perfectly counterbalaneed, but should havea slight e.- cess ol' weight, which is readily lifted by the permanentmagnet when the main circuit is open, and when the current .isintroducedthis excess el' weight assists the repulsive effort ol` theelectro-magnet in throwing oftl the steel, magnet. ',lhewcight of thisarm will suffice to control the circuit even when the current in theelectro-magnet is barely su tl'icient toneniralixe lhcmagnetism inducedin said electromagnet by the steel magnet; but in actual work a somewhatstrijmgei.' current should bc used, so as to furnish a margin lorpossible variations in its strength.

lhis relay is designed to effect a great saving ol" baltory-power. l tdoes not require adliustnufnt to preserve uniformity oi' action,notwithstanding variations in. the strength ofthe line-eu.r1.em. Themargin ol' admissible variation ranges from the lecblest current thatwill do the work up to a current of any degree of strength below thatwhich would reverse the polarity of the steel magnet. The deviceutilizes the principle that two magnetie poles oi'l the saine name willmutually re pel, although one of themv may be too fiiieble I o manifestany useful. attraction for sol't iron. Its capacity is designed to besullicient to operate a local battery in ocean telegraphy, therebyfacilitating and expediting the rcccption of cable messages.

I am aware that relayshave been constructA ed with a permanent magnetfor the core, and provided with a soit-iron armature, and that relayshave been made in which both the armature and the core are permanentlypolarized.

Il am also aware that a permanent magnet, as the armature ol" anclectro-magnet having its poles opposite each other, so that while onepole will attract the permanent magnet the other will repel, is not new;also, that perinanent magnets serving as annunciato]-drops have beenuscdas armatures and held by their own magnetism to the soi`t-iron core ot'an electro-magnet when the ,line-circuit is broken, and repelled whenthe clectroanagnet is energized by the line-current, but said armatureshave .not been used in relays in. this connection, as they controlled nolocal. circuit.

Ill am also aware that an electro-magnet with a permanent steel magnetl'or an armatiufehaw ing a counterpoise and spring has been heretoforeused; but in such device the principle ol' operation is entirelydillerent from my re lay, and 1l am lfurther aware that atelegraphieinstrument having a soft-iron core and a permanent magnet as an armaturewhich is .ropelled lfrom the core when the lindern-rent is ol" a certainpolarity not new, but in such device the permanent steel magnet isnetheid to the core solely by its own magnetism. riherefore i do notclaim such devices; but,

llaving described this invention, what lll claim, and desire to secureby l'ietters lfatent, is-

il. ln a telegraphic relay, the combination, with its elcetro-magnet, ofa vibra/tory steel magnet operated by its own. attraction alone towardthe core of the clectromagimt to break. circuit, and by means oi' themagnetic .repulsion between said steel magnet and the electro-magnet tomake circuit, substantially as speciiied.

2. ln a. telegraphic .receiving -instrument without retractile spring, apermanent magnet as the armatinfe of an electromagnet :normail y heldthereto by its own magnetism alone, in com binati on with an arm rigidlyattaclurd to said armature to control the local circuit by its ownweight when the magnetism induced in said electromagnet by said armatureis neutralized by the line-current, substantially as specified.

fi. ln a telegraphic receiving-instrument, the combinatii'm, with anelectroanagnet, el' a vibratory steel magnet having a mctallicprojectionor arm rigidly connected at an angle with said steel magnet, and havinga point of platinum or other metal adjusted to make and break electricalconnections when operatei'l by the successive reijiulsions andattractions between seid steel magnet and the e]ectro-1nag eillzttingmagnet, I'I, arm Ii, extension d, niei- 1o net, substantially asspecified. bury-cup h, and governing-screw l, substan- 4. In atelegraphie receiving instrument, tiaily as shown and described. v thecombination of an electro-magnet, of an os- In testimony whereof I affix1n y si gimtu re in 5 eillating steel magnet, H, arm K, extension d,presence of-two witnesses.

and mercury-cup h, substantially as and for JAMES S. LAMAR. the purposespeeied. Witnesses:

5. In a telegraphie ieeeiving-instrnlent, JOHN A. MORROW, thecombination of an electro-magnet, an os- M. RCALLAN.

